City of Half Moon Bay Prepares for 2024 Summer Beach Access and Safety Including Applying for CDP for Redondo Gate Nighttime Closure

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VIDEO. From the Half Moon Bay City Council meeting on Tuesday, May, 7th, 2024 at 7:00pm, as a hybrid meeting.

 

 

3B.  Staff Report and Recommendation

Receive the 2024 Summer Beach Update on City and Sheriff’s Office efforts for the notification, management, and enforcement for beaches and access points within the City limits and provide feedback to staff.

 

BACKGROUND

Half Moon Bay and the San Mateo County coast are a prime recreation destination for the Bay Area as well as visitors from around the world. Within Half Moon Bay itself, public beaches extend north to south for almost 7 miles. Notable among the public beaches within City limits are Half Moon Bay State Beach comprising three distinct beach areas (Francis, Venice and Dunes Beaches), Poplar Beach, Surfer’s Beach and Manhattan Beach (otherwise known as Canada Verde or Miramontes Point Beach). Great beach opportunities extend both north and south of the City along Highway 1. Information on Coastside beaches (including State Parks) can be found on the City’s website at https://www.half-moon-bay.ca.us/732/Beaches.

 

Poplar Beach is City-owned and provides the public access to both the beach and California Coastal Trail and includes a public parking lot for passenger vehicles and equestrian trailers. Poplar Beach is a popular location for locals and visitors alike to recreate and escape the heat of the Bay Area and has historically been a congregating point for large groups, particularly local youth and teens. Increasingly, Poplar Beach has become a meeting spot for groups coming from Bayside communities.

 

Over the last 5 years, the City and Sheriff’s Office executed an amended service contract for Police Services which included additional conditions related to the summer season influx of beachgoers:

 

“During the summer months (Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend), the Police Chief shall consider the City’s beach and park areas to be an enforcement priority and shall make resource, deployment, and staffing decisions with that in mind. Within the confines of the staffing model and budget outlined in the current contract, the Police Chief will use a variety of tactics to maintain law and order at the beaches and parks, including but not limited to: routine patrols, increased patrols, redeployment of on-duty patrol force, foot patrols, overtime details at peak hours, electronic sign boards, use of the Crime Suppression Unit, etc. The Police Chief will retain the right to provide general police services within the policy guidelines and practices of the Sheriff’s Office which establishes priorities for deputies when receiving multiple calls and when responding to more serious crimes or emergencies in progress.”

 

Additionally, the Public Works Department incorporates additional staffing to allow for full-day Saturday and Sunday coverage of the City’s Beaches, Parks, Downtown and other facilities. Public Works and the Sheriff’s Police Services also have all-terrain vehicles capable of accessing the beaches and coastal trail even during the busiest of times. With the anticipated influx of visitors trying to escape the summer heat on the Bayside, it’s expected to be another busy summer season. Being in the California Coastal Zone, the City is subject to the California Coastal Act which requires all beaches to remain open and accessible to the public 24 hours every day.

 

DISCUSSION

Addressing the upcoming demand is a collaborative effort involving City Staff (City Manager’s Office, Communications, and Public Works), the Sheriff’s office, and regional stakeholders such as State Parks, County Parks, Caltrans and Highway Patrol. As temperatures increase outside of the coastal area, increase in visitors is anticipated which will impact coastal resources including beaches, parks, parking and refuse; especially on the holiday weekends:

– Memorial Day Weekend (May 24th – 27th)

– Independence Day Weekend (July 4th – July 7th)

– Labor Day Weekend (August 31st – September 2nd)

With this influx of visitors, the primary areas of effort will be focused on Public Outreach and Notification, Police Patrol and Enforcement, Traffic and Parking Management, and Public Facilities and Amenities.

 

Public Outreach and Notification

As done in past years, efforts will focus on signage and targeted outreach for visitors. This includes portable Changeable Message Signs (CMS) along Highway 1 and 92 reminding the community and visitors about parking, activities and the prohibition of fireworks on City and State Beaches. Additionally, smaller signs may also be posted at trail heads, parking lots and access points if needed.

 

Through the Sheriff’s Office, outreach is coordinated with Caltrans, Highway Patrol and other partners to utilize tools such as 511, SMC Alert and on CMS’s on regional freeways on the bayside (92, 280, 101). Targeted outreach will also be coordinated with School Districts, both coastside and bayside. Typically, students, especially seniors, frequent the coastal area and have been prone to have bonfires and leave trash on our beaches. Staff will contact the San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools, Cabrillo Unified School District and others to help spread the word on the rules of our beaches. In summary, notifications and information will be made through the following various channels:

– 511, SMC Alert and bayside Variable Message Signs (VMS)

– Portable CMS on local roads and highways

– Social Media Channels (Facebook, Instagram, Nextdoor, etc.)

– E-news (https://www.half-moon-bay.ca.us/448/Email-Newsletters-Other-Periodicals)

 

Police Patrol & Enforcement

As noted, the San Mateo County Sheriff provides law enforcement and related public safety functions for the City of Half Moon Bay and all adjoining areas to the City. The Sheriff’s Department coordinates and supports Coastside law enforcement with California Highway Patrol and State Parks for enforcement, investigation and search, rescue and recovery.

 

The Sheriff’s Department (via Community Services Officer) conducts regular checks of the Poplar Beach Parking Lot during daytime hours. Regular Sheriff Patrol covers the entire City 24- hours per day and includes beach areas and adjacent neighborhoods within City limits. The Patrol is also responsible for traffic and parking enforcement throughout the City. Under the City’s contract for services, the Sheriff has committed to providing extra staffing in high demand times including holidays and weekends including:

– Beach and Trail Patrols, utilizing the Polaris off-road vehicle

– Additional patrols of parking lots and adjacent areas in late evening/early morning hours

– Additional staffing during the holiday weekends noted above

– When staffing allows, conduct focused enforcement at impacted intersections (Hwy 1/92; Hwy 1/Main St.)

– Continue to work with the California Highway Patrol to provide regular and focused traffic and parking enforcement in Half Moon Bay and the Coastside.

 

In 2021, a community member affiliated with the National Ski Patrol (NSP) requested City support in creating a volunteer bike patrol, under the umbrella of the NSP, to provide education, first aid, and other appropriate services along the California Coastal Trail. Several community volunteers patrol the trail on weekends and busy summer days. Trail patrol by the Sheriff has been constrained due to budgetary and staff limitations. We continue to seek alternatives to provide this service, during peak seasons and beyond.

 

Access gates to Poplar Beach, as well as on Wavecrest Road and Redondo Beach Road, have also been part of the overall conversation, both during peak demand and on typical days. Historically, these gates were closed at night and reopened each morning. Due to concerns with required public access to the beaches, beginning in 2019 the gates were left open. Each location and situation is unique and different approaches have been explored to best balance public access and community concerns. Recently, concerns have been raised by the community regarding the Redondo Beach Road gate. After reviewing the adopted Local Coastal Land Use Plan (LCLUP) and in consultation with Coastal Commission staff, it was determined that a Coastal Development Permit would be necessary to close the existing access gate. City staff is drafting an application seeking authorization to lock the gate there and will work with local stakeholders (Golf Links, Coastside Land Trust, Property Owners) regarding this change in policy upon approval.

 

Traffic Management

Traffic on Highway 1 and 92 ultimately finds its way to local streets and neighborhoods. Visitors will always be looking for a parking spot as close to the beach as possible. Any given day in the summer months (or sunny days in general), the overflow of parking demand at Poplar Beach and State Beaches is met by on-street parking on public streets in neighborhoods west of Highway 1. The impacts to neighborhood parking varies during the peak season and by proximity to the beach access point. While current parking lots meet typical demand, peak seasons often exceed Poplar Beach Parking Lot and many of the available State Beach facilities.

 

The City contracts with the San Mateo County Sheriff for law enforcement including traffic enforcement on local, County and State roadways. The Public Works Department is responsible for maintaining local streets and regulatory signage. Signage was placed at Highway 1 and 92 regarding blocking of the intersection. Additionally, the City eliminated “right on red” activity at Main Street/Highway 92 in hopes of reducing “cut-through” traffic activity on weekends. Ultimately, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is responsible for permitting, maintenance, management and operations of the highways including all traffic signals. The California Highway Patrol is a partner with all agencies and is the principal enforcement authority for Highway 1 and Highway 92. The Sheriff Patrol has and will continue to cite those violating traffic laws and to support the Highway Patrol. As noted previously, the City will be working on developing new traffic/congestion strategies.

 

Public Facilities & Amenities

The Public Works Department is responsible for the maintenance and operation of beaches, public parking lots, and portions of the coastal trail. The City supplements these efforts by contracting with Abundant Grace through the Coastal Clean Team Program to assist with litter clean-up on Poplar Beach, Poplar Parking Lot, the Coastal Trail and nearby neighborhoods. The Maintenance Division is made up of seven individuals, including the Superintendent, who are responsible for Citywide maintenance. Maintenance duties include the following:

– The City will deploy maintenance staff to staff Poplar Beach and service other City beaches/facilities seven days a week inclusive of Memorial Day (May 27), Independence Day (July 4) and Labor Day (September 2).

– Weekend coverage will primarily be provided via Maintenance Assistant. Other maintenance staff will also be used for on-call demands and emergency coverage.

– Monitor and replace signage, barriers and other infrastructure as needed.

 

Litter removal and bathrooms are increased during the peak seasons as well. The additional maintenance presence will support the removal of litter as well as working with Republic Services for increased pick-ups as needed. Additional portable bathrooms are also provided at Poplar Beach Parking Lot (increase from 3 to 6 portable bathrooms) and 1 portable bathroom at the terminus of Kelly Street adjacent to the State Park. Servicing of the bathrooms will be increased daily given the use and demand on them.

 

CONCLUSION

The coastside can expect traffic and related impacts through the peak 2024 season. The impacts will be more acute during Bay Area heat waves and holiday weekends. This update provides a summary of the City’s, Sheriff’s and other Stakeholder operations to alleviate some of the issues and impacts that will be felt by residents and visitors alike. Staff seeks feedback from the council on these efforts, especially on the direction on the locking of the Redondo Beach Road gate.

 

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The City Council of Half Moon Bay is the City’s governing body, and consists of five elected members. The Council sets priorities and policies, makes final decisions on all major City matters, adopts ordinances and resolutions, appoints the City Manager and City Attorney, and approves the annual budget.

 

The City of Half Moon Bay holds district-based elections for its five city council seats. Each Councilmember is elected to a 4 year term. There are no term limits in Half Moon Bay. The City Council selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and one to serve as Vice Mayor, on an annual basis.

 

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